Film viewing device



y 18, 1950 H. BLUM 2,515,921

FILM VIEWING DEVICE Filed Jan. 24, 1948 s Sheets-Sheet 1 IN V EN TOR.

HARRY BL 1m ATTORNEY July 18, 1950 H. BLUM FILM VIEWING DEVICE 3Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Jan. 24, 1948 INVENTOR, HAK/FYBLZ/M Z QQ ATTORNEYJuly 18, 1950 n. BLUM 2,515,921

Y FILM VIEWiNG DEVICE Filed Jan. 24, 1948 s Sheets-Sheet 5 INVENTOR.HARRY BL an 6 ATTORNEY Patented July 18, 1950 UNITED 1 PATENT. OFFICEVlEWINGllEVICE may Bluzn,New York,N. Y. Application Jan y 24, i e isi's'i-ia 4,1'07

12Claims. (clun -28),

-This invention relates to new and useful improvements in film viewingdevices.

- Aparticular object of the invention is to provide a compact casingcarrying interiorly a pas sageway or chute through which' a film maybemanually endwisely advanced and moved -forward and backward as desiredrelative to a shadow-box having a specially located pee opening,desirably served by a magnifying glass, and also carrying interiorly anilluminating means for lighting up-the' photograph on the film which isframed at the objective end of the shadow-box, in combinationwith simpleyet dependably operatingmeansformanually 'movingthe film along the chuteto position a selectedphotograph on the film for such framing. v

A- feature of the invention isthat two-dife ferent illuminating lampsare provided: .within the box, together with a sourceof current, as oneor more batteries, for one of such .lamps, .and also together with suchwiring arrangementsand switches that at will one of said switchesmay; beused to lace one of the lamps in circuit or :the other may be used forconnecting theother lamp with an exterior source ofcurrenta; i i y l. iI

A further feature of the invention 18113112117 the chute is so disposedthat, .with. thenfilm passed through: the casing in one oftwo possible;di-. rections, it may be quickly, easily. and safely endwisely enteredinto a lower end ofthe chute.- at

the rear of the casing near the floor thereof; the

chute being so extended from said end,tha,t, it progresses ,forwardalong said floor and then has ,a curvilinear path and then continues up:wardly real'rwardly at an oblique angle, to have its opposite endterminate atthe top of th casr ing, so that-the shadow-:box may, berearwardly .downwardlyinclined at the front ,of the casing forcomfortable and best view of the selectively framed photograph on thefilm.

Still another feature of the invention v arrangement of the parts .suchthat the film chute,v where it traverses said curvilineanpart of itspath of extension, is providedwith side wing extensions forrotativelymounting a feed roller which, manually .turnable from the exterior ofthe casing, constitutes with awall of the chute the means for moving thefilm along the chute. y f

Also, the lower front of the casing is concave ly laterally curved, tomatch the convex periphery of an auxiliary receptacle of bowl likecharacter, below called the bowl, whereby the latter be snugly fitteduptoand forwardlyprojected from the lower front porticn'of thecasinglyjet' without interfering with'easy operation ofa knob or thelike provided for turning the feed roller.

Various other features have to do with coactions between the parts, bothmechanical and electricaL-inaid of simplicity of construction,

minimization of auxiliary wiring, reduced cost of 'manufacture, andefficient and reliable operation. i i

For further comprehension of the invention, and of the objects andadvantages thereof, reference will be'hadto the following descriptionand accompanying drawing,.and to the appended claims in which'thevarious novel features of the invention are more particularly set forth.

v.ln lthe accompanying drawing forming a material'part of thisdisclosure: :Fig..l isa side elevation of thedevice, fitted up againstthe separable bowl.

Fig. 2 is a top plan view, showing the casing and bowl. fittedtogetherasin Fig. 1.

. Fig.3 isa. perspective-view of the casing, with the .bowl removed.

, ;,Fig.;4 is aperspective view of said casing looking-.towardthe backthereof, with its rear door Fig. is a vertical section, taken on theline .Fig. 6, is, an enlarged perspective detail view, showing thefilmchute, andpne of several parts carried thereby, but with the feed rollerremoved.

Fig. is a fragmentary detail view, being a vertical sectiontakenon theline ll of Fig. 6. .1 Fig.1ltismainly a schematic view showing thewiring and other. circuit-making arrangements within the casing.

Thefil m viewing device, according to the present invention, includes acasing 15 formed at the front thereof with a bottom concavity l6, intowhich may be interfitteol, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, abowl I' l foruseas a tray for placing a childs foodpl fte therein, to encourage theeating of the food in ,the plate.

\Abovelthe concavity I6 and the transversely curvilinear eave portion l8thereabove, the casingthefront of the shadow-box 22 in the shapeof'thefrustum of afour-sided yramid (Fig. 5).

As best shown'in the view last mentioned, the

shadow-box 22 is formed integral with the main body 123-oftliecasing l5. j v the shadow-box 22, the casing l5 has a,

central protuberance 24, rectangular in plan, the upper surface of whichinclines downwardly rearwardly to merge at the rear of the casing withtwo horizontal and symmetrically laterally concavely rounded side panelareas 25 and 26. Toward the rear of the casing, said protuberance 24 isupwardly extended by a block formation 21.

The casing i is open all over at its rear end, and is there providedwith a door 28, hinged as at 26. Any suitable latching means may be usedto hold the door closed, but, as shown in Fig. 4, the latching meansincorporates a hole 30 in a side wall of the main body 23 of the casingl5, and a wing-head screw 31 threadedly engaged with an L-bracket 32secured to the inside of the door 28. When the door is closed, the shank of the screw 3| is passed through the hole 36 threaded into thebracket 32, so that tightening of the screw may clamp its head againstsaid casing wall to lock the door closed.

To allow exit from the casing of a portion of the wiring to be connectedto the external source of current a bottom corner of the door is cutaway as indicated at 33. Said portion of the wiring .is marked 34 inFigs. 1, 2 and 4, but, in order to keep the drawings as clear aspossible, neither it nor any other of the wiring elements are shown inany of the views, except in Fig. 8, to which detailed reference willlater be made. The door 28 has a further cut=out 35, through whichslightly projects, when the door is closed, the lower end of the filmchute 35. As best shown in Fig. 5, the chute 36 extends along the floorof the casing 15 and then curvilinearly ascends (at 36, Figs. 6 and 7),after which it rearwardly upwardly inclines until its upper end reachesthe top of the block 2'! provided with a matching slot.

Where the last mentioned length of the chute 36 passes the inner end ofthe shadow-box 22, the former is cut away at top and bottom walls toprovide openings 31 and 38 aligned with each other and aligned with theinner open end of the shadow-box. Along the top and bottoh'i edges ofthe opening 31 are secured Z-strips 39 and 40, between which may besnapped one, two or more thin, lightly frosted light-diffusion sheets4|, made, for instance, of acetate sheet material. 7 g

The larger end of the shadow -box 22 is perimetrically enlarged at thefront of the casing, to provide a shouldered recess, as indicated inbroken lines in Fig. 5, for seating a magnifying glass 42. V

The wall of the chute 36 which is its bottom wall, where the chute runsalong the 'fioor of the casing l5, this wall marked 36% in Fig. 6, iscontlnuous from end to end of the chute, and its opposite wall 36 islikewise thus continuous. These walls 36 and 36* are joined at oppositesides by like sheet pieces 43 and 44 havin upstanding wings 45 and 46.Above the tops of the wings, the walls 36? and 35" are joined at opensite sides by strips 41 and 48; the bottoms of the strips meeting thefront portions 'of the horizontal top edges of the wings 4'5 and 46, sothat the inner surfaces of the strips 41 and it are perfectly flush withthe inner side of the wings 45 and 46 where along their curved bottomsthey participate in establishing the chute 36 at its curvilinearascension 36'. V

Within the curvilinear ascension 36' the wall 36 has an opening 49, trough which projects the feed roller 50, desirably of fairly softrubber,

4 and fixed on a shaft 5| journalled in aligned apertures 52 in thewings 45 and 46 and extended through an aligned aperture in that sidewall of the casing I5 which is seen in Fig. 3. The thus projected partof the shaft 5| has fixed thereon a hand-knob 53.

It will be noted from Fig. '7 that the shaft 5| is so placed at theforward lower zone of the field of operation of the roller 50 that theroller is pressed against the chute wall 36*. Thus, the instant theforward end of a film 54 (such film shown only in Figs. 1, 3 and 4) isadvanced to come well under roller 56, turning of the latter in acounter-clockwise direction as viewed in Fig. '7 results in immediatefirm seizure of the film for further precise feed of the film inresponse to turning of the knob 53.

Because of the inclusion of the wings 45 and 46, not only is an idealmounting for the roller 56 afforded, but the chute is held to rigidityof predetermined direction of extension from end to end, its immovablefixation in the casing i5 is simplified, and efficient holding means aregiven for the bent-strip clip-holders 55 and. 56 for a pair of batteries58 for supplying current to energize an electric light bulb51.

The two batteries 58 are omitted from Fig. 4, to avoid confusing theillustration, but their positions are indicated clearly in- Figs. 5 and8, where the near battery 58 is outlined in dot and dash lines. In linewith this battery, across the width of the casing i5, there is locatedthe companion battery 58. Each battery is snappingly received in one ofthe holders 55 and 56, with the bottom of each battery resting on one ofthe opposite, upwardly bowedend portions of a substantially M=shapedstrip 60, secured to the underside of the chute 36. i

For holding the chute 36 in position in the casing l5, a fiat metalstrip 6| (Figs. 4 and 5) is also secured, near its middle, to theunderside of the chute; and the end portions of the strip 6| have tappedholes for receiving screws 62, which when tightened up anchor the strip6| to the floor of the casing .l 5.

Thereby, and with the chute stiffened as aforee said by the Wings 45 and46, and following in sertion of the upper end 01' the chute into itsslot through the block 21 at thetop of the casing, it is merelynecessary to swing the chuteinto position as illustrated in Fig. 5 andapply the screws 62. Before thus mounting the chute, in ded before thewing-carrying pieces 43 and 44 are secured as parts of the chute, theroller 56 will be placed in position, together with its shaft BI; andbefore the upper end of the chute is entered in said slot, the chute ismanipulated to send, through the appointed aperture in a side wall ofthe casing, the end portion of said shaft later to be equipped with theknob 53.

As will be understood, before the insertion of the chute 36 into thecasing [5 for secureinent thereto by the strip 6| and the screws 62; thebattery holding clips 55 and 56, and the strip 60, are all connected tothe chute 36.

Also before insertion'of the chute 36 into the casing, there is mountedon the same (Figs. 4 and 5) an L-shaped metal bracket 63 and at the freeend of the bracket 63 there is secured a familiar type of socket 65 forthe bulb 51, and also there aresecured' to the underside of the bracketsprin meta sti-ipsts for engaging at their opposite end portions the topelectrodes of the two batteries 58.- Tii'us, the strips '66 are includedin the circuit for the bulb 51 as will be explaii ned*-in Fig. 8 withparticularity. The strips t5 are insulated from each other by beingmounted 'in f spaced relationon' an insulation block 63 with themetallic mounting means of the far strip '66, as fviewedin-Fig. 8,passing completely porcelain type socket68 .which is secured to thechute 36, by screws 69, see Fig, 4. The chute 36,

like the'strip so and thes'tripliB, is of metal. And

here it may be explained thatwith the strips 60 'a'nd seaisccrmetai, thefinger-beam s3 is of cnductiv InateriaL'and the main body 23 of thecasing is of insulation material; which latter has been satisfactorilymade as a single, molded piece of a plastic of insulating nature.

At one side of the casing I5 there is a switch 10, and at its oppositeside there is a switch H; the former for the interior circuit for thelight bulb 51, and the latter for the lamp bulb 61. Desirably, boththese switches are of the push button type, and are so constructed thatone inward push of its button closes its circuit, which stays closeduntil the said button is pushed in again, when the circuit is opened.

Referring now to Fig. 8, where the wiring 34 of Figs. 1, 2 and 4 isdiagrammatically indicated, together with its plug 12 for insertion in acurrent-supply outlet from an ordinary house circuit, from the plug 12 awire 13 goes to the socket 68, a wire 14 goes from said socket to theswitch H, and from the latter a wire 15 goes back to the plug 12.

The circuit in which are interposed the switch 10, the socket 65, andthe batteries 58, has said batteries in series relation therein. Thus,starting with the battery 58 indicated in dot and dash lines in Fig. 8,the circuit may be traced as including the strip 60, the chute 36, theopposite battery 58, its strip 66, the bracket 63, one terminal 16 ofthe socket 65, the other terminal 11 thereof, a wire 18 to the switch10, and a wire 19 to the other strip 66 and so back to the first battery58.

Thus interior wires are minimized to such an extent that merely fivewires (13, 14, I5, 18 and 19) have to be accommodated in the casing Hi.The device is thereby further made compact, lightened in weight, andreduced in bulk, and therefore easily portable. At the back of the door28 is secured a spring clip 80, for securely holding the circuit portion34 in back and forth looped arrangement, when the device is beingcarried from one place to another, or while otherwise it is not in use.

It is to be understood that this film viewing device may accommodate anystandard film such as a 35 mm. film and suitable attachments may beprovided to guide a smaller film such as a 16 or 8 mm. film through thedevice.

While I have illustrated and described the preferred embodiment of myinvention, it is to be understood that I do not limit myself to theprecise construction herein disclosed and the right is reserved to allchanges and modifications coming within the scope of the invention asdefined in the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire tosecure by United States Letters Patent, is:

1. In a film viewing device having a casing including an inclined frontwall, a bottom wall, a top wall, spaced side walls and an openable backdoor, said front wall being formed adjacent its top with an opening, amagnifying glass closing said opening, a hollow shadow box within saidcasing having its front end surrounding said opening and its rear endopen, a chute for a film strip having spaced walls for extending alongthe opposite faces of the film strip and comprising a bottom portion, aportion inclined upwardly and rearwardly parallel to the front wall anda curved portion connecting said portions, said upwardly inclinedportion having an. apertured area passing the open rear end of saidshadow box, a

bracket extended rearward from the upwardly inclined portion of saidchute for supporting a lamp bulb for illuminating the portion of thefilm passing said apertured area to beviewed in said magnifying glass,and means in the curved portion of said chute for continuously feeding afilm strip from the bottom portion to the upwardly inclined portion ofsaid chute past said apertured area, said means comprising spaced wingsextending rearward from the curved portion of said chute, said wingsbeing formed with horizontally aligned openings arranged concentric withthe curve of said curved portion, a shaft rotatively extended throughsaid openings, the wall of said chute on the inside of said curvedportion being formed with an opening exposing one side of the film strippassing through said chute, and a friction roller fixedly mounted onsaid shaft between said wings and of a diameter to cause the film stripto be gripped between the periphery of said roller and the inside faceof the wall of said chute on the outside of the curved portion forfeeding the film strip through said chute as said shaft is rotated to inturn rotate said roller.

2. In a film viewing device having a casing including an inclined frontwall, a bottom wall, a top wall, spaced side walls and an openable backdoor, said front wall being formed adjacent its top with an opening, amagnifying glass closing said opening, a. hollow shadow box within saidcasing having its front end surrounding said opening and its rear endopen, a chute for a film strip having spaced walls for extending alongthe opposite faces of the film strip and comprising a bottom portion, aportion inclined upwardly and rearwardly parallel to the front wall anda curved portion connecting said portions, said upwardly inclinedportion having an apertured area passing the open rear end of saidshadow box, a bracket extended rearward from the upwardly inclinedportion of said chute for supporting a lamp bulb for illuminating theportion of the film passing said apertured area to be viewed in saidmagnifying glass, and means in the curved portion of said chute forcontinuously feeding a film strip from the bottom portion to theupwardly inclined portion of said chute past said apertured area, saidmeans comprising space wings extending rearward from the curved portionof said chute, said wings being formed with horizontally alignedopenings arranged concentric with the curve of said curved portion, ashaft rotatively extended through said openings, the wall of said chuteon the inside of said curved portion being formed with an openingexposingone side of the film strip passing through said chute, and afriction roller fixedly mounted on said shaft between said wings and ofa diameter to cause the film strip to be gripped between the peripheryof said roller and the inside face of the wall of said chute on theoutside of the curved portion for feeding the film strip through-saidchute as said shaft is rotated touin turn rotate said roller, andclipliolders mounted on said wings and extended rearward therefrom forsupporting batteries to supply the required electrical current toilluminate the lamp bulb supported by said bracket.

. HARRY BLUM.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Number Name v Date Wright Dec. 6, 1932 LeeSept. 11, 1934 McConalogue Aug. 6, 1935 Schade Nov. 7, 1939 Each Apr.22, 1941 Links et a1. Feb. 29, 1944 Miesegaes Feb. 12, 1946 HolbrookSept. 3, 1946 FOREIGN PATENTS Country Date Austria May 10, 1926 GreatBritain Feb. 7, 1938 France Jan. 24, 1940

